What to Expect

Prior to Procedure

Talk to your doctor about your medications. You may be asked to stop taking some medications up to one week before the procedure.

Arrange for someone to drive you home after the biopsy.

Anesthesia

If local anesthesia is used, then only the area that is being operated on is numbed. It is given as an injection and may also be given with a sedative.

Description of the Procedure

There are different techniques used to do a liver biopsy, including:

Conventional liver biopsy

Laparoscopic liver biopsy—done when the biopsy needs to be taken from a specific area of the liver

Transvenous liver biopsy—done if your blood clots poorly or you have a lot of fluid in your abdomen

Conventional Liver Biopsy

You will lie on your back with your right hand behind your head. An
ultrasound
or
CT scan
may be used to help guide the placement of the needle. The skin will be cleaned. Next, medication will be injected to numb the area. A small incision will be made. You will need to exhale and hold your breath while the needle is inserted. Sometimes, the needle will need to be inserted several times. After the procedure, the area will be bandaged.

Placement of Liver Biopsy Needle

Laparoscopic Liver Biopsy

Your doctor will make a tiny incision. A long tool with a camera on the end will be passed into your abdomen in the area of the liver. It will send images of the liver to a TV screen. Additional incisions will be made to pass other tools. These tools will be used to remove samples of the liver.

Transvenous Liver Biopsy

A tiny flexible tube will be threaded into a vein in your neck or groin. This tube will be threaded all the way into the veins in your liver. A biopsy needle will be passed through the tube to get a biopsy sample.

Immediately After Procedure

You will lie on your right side for at least 2 hours.

How Long Will It Take?

About 15-20 minutes

Will It Hurt?

You will have mild pain or cramping at the biopsy site. You may also have pain in the right shoulder. The pain should last for less than 30 minutes.

Postoperative Care

Rest and avoid driving for at least 24 hours after the surgery. You may have to restrict certain activities, such as heavy lifting, until your doctor says it is okay to do so. Unless unwise advised, you can resume your normal diet.

The biopsy results will take 1-4 weeks. You and your doctor will discuss the results.

Call Your Doctor

After arriving home, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

Signs of infection, including fever and chills

Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or any discharge from the incision site

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